This invention relates to a sheet handling apparatus.
The invention has application, for example, to a currency note stacking and presenting mechanism included in a cash dispenser unit of an automated teller machine (ATM). As is well known, in operation of an ATM a user inserts a customer identifying card into the machine and then enters certain data (such as codes, quantity of currency required, type of transaction, etc.) upon one or more keyboards included in a user console of the machine. The machine will then process the transaction, update the user's account to reflect the current transaction, dispense cash, when requested, from one or more currency cassettes mounted in the machine, and return the card to the user as part of a routine operation.
A known cash dispenser unit of an ATM includes at least one note picking mechanism for extracting notes one by one from associated currency cassette, stacking means for accumulating the extracted notes into a stack, and transport means for feeding the stack of notes to a delivery port or exit slot in the ATM from where the stack may be removed by a user of the ATM. If for any reason it is determined that the stack of notes is to be rejected, for example as a result of a multiple note detect mechanism having detected in the course of a stack operation that two or more notes have been picked in a single pick operation, that instead of feeding the stack to the exit slot the transport mechanism feeds the stack into a rejected note container (purge bin). In operation of this known dispenser unit, another situation where notes are fed into the purge bin is where a user of the ATM fails to remove some or all of the notes presented to him in response to a cash withdrawal request. Thus, if a determination is made that one or more notes remain present at the exit slot for more than a predetermined period of time, then the transport means is operated so as to feed the uncollected note(s) from the exit slot into the purge bin.
A disadvantage of the known cash dispenser referred to above is that, since both rejected notes and uncollected notes are deposited in the same purge bin, it may be difficult to identify any particular notes in the purge bin in the event of a dispute occurring between a customer and a bank concerning possible failure by the customer to remove some or all of a stack of notes presented to him in response to a cash withdrawal request.
A further known cash dispenser unit of an ATM includes separate collection means for rejected notes and for notes which have been left uncollected by a customer. However, this further known unit has the disadvantage that the provision of such separate collection means adds to the complexity and cost of the unit.